Consent to provide First Aid

First aid training and lifesaving guides

Consent to Provide First aid

When a first aider provides care to an injured person, it is necessary that the permission to provide care has been given by the injured person to the first aider before the aid is given. We have to remember that any person has the right to refuse first aid care under any circumstances.

Providing care without the patients permission may be considered a violation of his right.

The question now is ... What if the patient is unconscious or unresponsive? Do we have to wait until the victim regains consciousness? Don't you think its to late already to do that? What if the victim is not capable of making the right decision? Say for example a child or person with mental disorder?

Expressed Consent - This form of consent is given once the person of legal age, is responsive or alert. It may be given verbally or by gesture such as a nod of the head. A person calling for help during an emergency situation is considered to have given his consent already

Implied consent - this form of consent applies when the victim is unconscious or unresponsive. Any person in a life threatening condition who cannot expressly give consent is assumed to have given permission already.(This form of consent also applies to any person who is unconscious, or who is mentally incompetent, or any to any child wherein the parent or guardian is unavailable to provide consent.

First aid training and lifesaving guides